CC 16

Chapter 16

“Ah, well. Right now, I’m…”

[No, no. It’ll really just take a minute. Actress Seo! No, the goddess of Attrae, Actress Seo Sara. Please save me here.]

Normally, calls like this would be handled through her manager Mirae, but when the director started pleading so desperately, Sara had no choice but to stay on the line.

“What’s going on?”

[You know the episode of Rockstar that aired yesterday, right?]

“Yes.”

[The viewers’ boards and everywhere else are in an uproar. They’re all asking if your character is really dead. How could you leave the show like this?]

Yesterday’s episode had ended with Chae Min-seo’s suicide.

Sara had been too busy with Eun-young’s film investment matters to notice, but apparently Min-seo’s character had gotten quite a strong response.

[Listen, I’m really sorry, but… Actress Seo, could you please come back to Rockstar? Just this once, I’m begging you.]

“What? But my role is already dead…”

[Oh, don’t worry about that. If you agree, Writer Sung will rewrite the whole script from scratch. If you come back, I’m sure we can easily break thirty percent ratings. So? Can’t you consider it?]

Normally, she would have enjoyed the director’s desperate begging, but the timing was bad.

Next to her, Eun-young tapped her wristwatch.

Sara nodded.

“Director, I’m really sorry, but I have to head into a meeting now. I’ll call you back later.”

[Wait, Actress Seo! Ms. Seo Sara! Then when can we—]

Sara hung up before hearing the rest.

She shoved her phone into her bag, and Eun-young pressed the elevator button.

“Who was that? Nothing urgent?”

“Just the director from that drama I shot recently. Don’t worry about it. Let’s go up.”

“Right. Let’s.”

Eun-young’s face was tense with resolve.

Just then, the elevator doors slid open.

Clutching a folder full of investment plans, she stepped inside.

Sara gave her a light pat on the shoulder.

“Don’t be nervous. It’ll go fine.”

“It has to. Do you know what kind of opportunity this is?”

Eun-young muttered, her eyes hard with determination.

When they arrived at the company, a staff member greeted them warmly and led them into a conference room.

The two women took a deep breath, then pushed open the door.

By the time Sara returned home, she was completely drained.

Without even changing clothes, she collapsed onto the sofa.

Her phone, buried in her bag, had been ringing nonstop.

She dug it out and plopped it onto her cheek.

“…What.”

[Were you sleeping? What’s with your voice?]

“No. I just got back from a meeting. Why are you calling?”

[Sigh. Director Kwak wouldn’t stop pestering me. Since I’m close with you, he kept nagging me to talk to you.]

Moo-gyeom let out a long sigh, heavy with irritation.

“Talk? About what?”

[What else? Convince you to go back on the drama. I mean, isn’t it funny? He kicked you out of the lead role, and now he wants you back?]

“Why try to resurrect a character who already hanged herself?”

[Hey, you didn’t see the ratings for Episode Five? It peaked at twenty-five percent. Of course the director’s gone crazy. I bet the higher-ups are pressuring him hard.]

So that was why Director Kwak had been babbling about thirty percent ratings earlier.

Checking her phone, Sara saw five more missed calls from him.

[Didn’t he tell you already?]

“I did talk to him briefly. Ah, whatever. I’m tired.”

[So what are you going to do? Writer Sung is already rewriting the script, and production’s on hold. Kim Se-yeon heard about it and went ballistic…]

“What? Damn it. I never even said I’d do it, so why’s he rewriting already—Ugh, oppa, hold on. The company’s calling. I’ll talk to you later.”

[Yeah, okay.]

The moment she hung up on Moo-gyeom, Park Hyun’s excited voice rang through.

[Actress Seo! Why haven’t you been answering your phone?]

“What? Is this about Rockstar?”

[Huh? How’d you know? Did Director Kwak call you too?]

“Not just call. He even had Moo-gyeom oppa push me. Why’s everyone making such a fuss?”

[Fuss? Come on, this is huge! You’ve hit the jackpot again.]

Instead of explaining, he sent her a link to an article:

‘The Real Identity of Seo Sara’s Character in Rockstar? Netizens Divided’

Yesterday (23rd), in the final scene of TEW’s Monday-Tuesday drama Rockstar (directed by Kwak Dong-chul, written by Sung Ji-hee), rival character Chae Min-seo (played by Seo Sara) shocked viewers by ending her life.

But many netizens are refusing to accept her death.

Comments include: “There’s no way Min-seo is gone for good.”, “Writer Sung must have a twist in store.”, “I’m more invested in Min-seo than in the main character, Oh Bit-na.”

Others argue: “Bringing her back would break the logic of the story.”, “Min-seo’s death will likely be the catalyst for Bit-na’s growth.”

Meanwhile, TEW’s Rockstar airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 10 p.m.

[You saw it, right? Already five ad offers came in today.]

“Mm.”

Sara scrolled through the article with a flat expression, but Hyun’s excitement hadn’t waned.

[Director Kwak called me so much my phone died mid-call. I said we’d have to adjust your schedule, and he practically begged me to name the time and place. He’ll make it work, no matter what.]

“Really.”

[What’s with the lukewarm reaction? Didn’t you take the supporting role in Rockstar for this exact opportunity?]

“I did.”

Back then, she had been consumed with the desire to spite Kim Se-yeon. But now that fire had completely burned out.

Sensing her cold reaction, Hyun quickly asked:

[…Right, you said you had a meeting with RK today. How’d that go?]

“After the meeting, they contacted me separately.”

[And?]

“They said they’d invest—if we change the director.”

[…I see.]

A heavy silence followed. They both knew this industry too well to need further explanation.

[Did you tell Director Choi yet?]

“No. Not yet.”

[Don’t wait too long. The more you drag it out, the harder it’ll be on him.]

“I know.”

That was exactly why it hurt so much.

She could still picture Eun-young’s face, glowing with joy when she’d heard about the investor meeting.

Had the meeting been a mistake?

She felt like she’d only given Eun-young false hope.

[Actress Seo, you worked hard today. Get some rest.]

“Talk later.”

Normally, Hyun would have been urging her to get back on set right away, but sensing Sara’s mood, he ended the call quietly.

Sara stared blankly at the ceiling.

Her thoughts crowded in.

Now that the only promising investor had backed out, there was just one option left: seek support from organizations that fund independent films.

But that would slash the budget to almost nothing.

For a thriller, that would be disastrous—the film would end up so cheap-looking it’d be better not to make it at all.

“Haaah…”

A sigh escaped her lips.

Shoulders slumped, she trudged into the bathroom and started running a bath.

As the hot water soaked into her skin, her tangled thoughts began to settle.

What should I tell Eun-young…

Biting her lip, she tried to gather her words—when her phone buzzed on the edge of the tub.

[The drama is really good. It’s a shame we won’t see you anymore, Ms. Seo.]

A text from Yoon Seung-tae.

Sara glanced at it without much thought and set it aside.

“This guy’s really persistent…”

She broke off mid-sentence and suddenly shot upright.

Water sloshed over the edge of the tub.

—If there’s ever something you want, contact me.

The words he’d once said, words she’d brushed off at the time, suddenly came back to her.